INTERVIEW: H.E. MS KATJA CHRISTINA NORDGAARD

TALL, blonde and extrovert in a very Scandinavian way, HE Ms Katja Christina Nordgaard is ideally suited to her position as Norway’s Ambassador to Thailand.
 
Apart from a short break working in the private sector, Ms Katja is a career diplomat. This is her first posting as ambassador.
 
Before moving to Thailand a year ago, she was assigned to South Africa, along with her husband and three daughters.
 
Wearing a Thai silk jacket worn over a sleek jersey dress and black Icelandic larva stone necklace, Ms Katja spoke to The BigChilli on a wide range of subjects, including the recent tragedy in her homeland.

I guess we must start with the mass murders in Norway, which clearly shocked the country and the rest of the world. What are your thoughts?
 
As our Prime Minister said, it was the most shocking and horrific attack to happen in Norway since the Second World War! But what is moving is how it has brought the whole country together, and reinforced the belief that our democratic values will prevail. Some 200,000 people came out on the streets on the day of the church obituary service, and our Crown Prince said “Today our streets are filled with love.”
 
We have many immigrants in our country, and sometimes when you live in a multi-cultural society, some people get concerned. This is happening all over the world today. But I strongly feel that the terrorist attack was the act of a single person, a lone wolf who is not representative of anyone in our society.

 
Where were you during the incident?

Not in Bangkok, but in Norway! In fact, we were at our summer house, and I was cooking a Thai meal for friends, when I heard the news on the radio. I immediately switched on the TV, and was shocked to hear about the bombing at the PM’s office, which was my old office, where I had worked before. It was the most unreal weekend. We just couldn’t believe that had happened.
 
Did you know anyone caught up in the tragedy?
 
Yes, a close friend’s 15-year-old son was there, but he managed to miraculously swim across the waters and escape. But he lost his girlfriend. These were young, engaged people trying to create a better world. The island is well-known for the Labour movement, because its youth group has a camp there every summer and the Prime Minister started his political career there.
 
Is Norway paying a high price for having too much democracy?
 
No, I don’t believe so. We have a very high ceiling for debate and discussion in Norway, because we believe it is better to disagree and discuss in the open rather than to suppress opinions. Since this incident, debates have raged all over the world. We have people from all religions in Norway, but we are very secular and have had no problems at all.
 
Is that why Norway does not have tough penalties, even for a murderer?

We have one of the lowest crime rates in the world. It is a safe society and we will ensure that it stays that way. The maximum penalty is 21 years. However, we do have several provisions in our penal code to protect society from dangerous individuals for a period beyond 21 years, such as preventive detention.  
 
Do you think there would have been fewer deaths if the police had got there faster?
 
I don’t have an opinion on that. The government has established an independent commission that will look into all aspects of the response to the attacks.
 
What is the effect of this tragedy on Norwegian society and way of life?

It’s shaken everyone, but I feel we have come out stronger for it. I don’t think the youth have been discouraged by the incident. In fact, they seem to have matured. The attacks have brought the Norwegian people together and I hope that what we have been through will lead to more openness, more tolerance and more political participation.
 
Tell us about yourself.

I’m a career diplomat, but I have also taken breaks from the diplomatic service to do other things during my working life. This may not always be a smart career move, but it has taught me many new things and my career has turned out well, after all! I worked in industries as diverse as oil, shipping and solar energy.

These are Norway’s top industries, right?
 
Norway is rich in natural resources, like oil and gas and hydro, but we also have other technologically advanced industries. We have strong environment laws. For instance, emissions from the oil sector in Norway are the lowest in the world. I like to say that we are hi-tech and also green-tech!
 
Will you be sharing your green-tech knowledge with the rest of the world, including Thailand?
 
Absolutely. I think environmental and climate issues are amongst the most important in the world today. They are
affecting weather patterns, causing floods, droughts, diseases. Norway has companies that specialize in waste management,
recycling processes, and I’d like to introduce some of them to Thailand. Solar and wind projects are also important. We need to work together and have a long-term vision for a low carbon society.
 
What is the secret of Norway’s thriving economy?

No secrets. We are a small country, and have an open economy. Because we have managed our natural resources well, we are one of the few countries without debt. One per cent of the GDP goes for developmental assistance. We have a reserve ‘oil fund’ that we keep aside for future generations.
 
What about Norwegian investments in Thailand?
 
We have about 50 Norwegian companies in Thailand - small, mid-size and big, covering a wide range of industries like telecom, fertilizer, paint, forestry products, and IT. The Norwegian Chamber of Commerce is active and I hope to assist even more companies to come to Thailand.
 
Does Thailand import Norwegian food products?

We have fantastic seafood, which is of the highest quality, and a lot of Norwegian salmon is imported to Thailand. Our meats are extremely good too - reindeer, elk and dried meats.
 
How close are the ties between Norway and Thailand?

We have a close link through our monarchies, which are well respected in both countries. Do you know that King Chulalongkorn spent the most time in Norway of all the countries he visited when he visited Europe in 1907? In fact, he travelled all over the country by many means of transport - boat, train, carts, car. Last year, a statue of King Chulalongkorn was erected on the coast where he first landed.
 
Around 12,000 Thais live in Norway, most of them married to Norwegians!
 
Also, there’s an island called Svalbard close to the North Pole, where the largest number of foreign workers are from Thailand. Most are involved in the service sector.
 
What about Norwegian tourists coming to Thailand?
 
Thailand is a very popular tourist destination, and almost 155,000 Norwegian tourists come here every year. The number of Thai visitors to Norway is also increasing.
 
Have you had time to travel around Thailand yourself?

I’ve been here only a year, but I’ve been to Phuket, Krabi, Khao Yai National Park, Udon Thani. And since I am accredited to Cambodia and Myanmar as well, I’ve also travelled there. Whenever we have holidays, my family and I set out on trips. Last week, we went cycling and trekking in the forests of Kanchanaburi.

Tell us about your family.
 
My husband Jorn is a businessman, and has been able to work with different companies in my previous posting in South Africa, and here too. He enjoys other cultures and considers it a privilege to meet and learn about different people. We have three daughters, two of whom are going to school here, while the eldest has just joined university in Norway.

We’re devoted parents and spend a lot of time together on the weekends. I love cooking for them, and doing many outdoor things like swimming, tennis. I also love dancing, but don’t get much chance here!

It was a big change for my kids coming to Bangkok, where the weather and social scene are very different from Norway. But I think we’re all doing very well.

Is it easy being Ambassador, wife and mother?
 
It’s not always easy – but a lot of women today juggle like this. In Norway, most married women work and we have arrangements to help working mothers and families, including kindergartens, maternity and paternity leave. Here in Thailand we are lucky to have domestic help, which is great as I’m much busier than I expected.

What are the advantages of being a lady Ambassador?
 
Sometimes, we can bring a different perspective on issues. And maybe we can make people feel more relaxed and help loosen up the atmosphere. But don’t be fooled - we’re just as tough as men! I think my own strength is that I really like meeting and connecting with people, which is important in my profession.

What do you think of Thailand having its first female Prime Minister?
 
I think that it is a positive event, and a natural one. There are so many competent women in Thailand so it is a natural development that they should reach the highest positions. Norway is a very equal society for men and women, but even there, people were very skeptical when we had our first woman Prime Minister. But she was strong and successful, and is now known as the ‘Mother of the country.’
 
What do you like and dislike about Thailand?
 
I love the food, the people, their culture and gentleness. I want to learn more about Buddhism and Asian values. I don’t like the traffic, and very often I jump out of my car and hop on to the sky train.
 
Politically, how do you view Thailand?

Well, I consider myself lucky to be in Thailand at a very interesting time in its political development. I’m encouraged by the peaceful way in which the elections took place, and the focus on reconciliation, which, I think, will move the country forward.

And the future?
 
I have never planned my life till now, but have grabbed at opportunities when they came.

I guess this will continue, and I enjoy life the way it is right now.